Valmet will deliver two fiber line improvement projects to SCA Obbola mill in Sweden. The projects support SCA’s earlier investments. The first installations will take place during the mill’s spring shutdown in May 2023.

The orders were included in Valmet's orders received of the first quarter 2023. The value of the orders will not be disclosed.

The deliveries include a Valmet ImpBin chip impregnation system rebuild and the installation of Valmet Wash Filter Hoods. The ImpBin rebuild will stabilize and increase the mill’s pulp production and improve its energy efficiency. The new wash filter hoods will primarily improve the mill’s safety during regular maintenance and annual shutdowns.

“We have developed an excellent customer relationship with the SCA Obbola mill over the years and are happy to continue our good co-operation. These orders continue SCA Obbola’s extensive investments in the mill’s fiber line and show SCA’s trust in Valmet’s expertise and ability to improve their performance. Through the long-term partnership Valmet is able to contribute to the continuous development of all SCA’s mills,” says Andreas Lindstedt, Corporate Account Manager, EMEA, Valmet.

Technical information about the delivery

Valmet’s delivery will include two projects. The Valmet ImpBin chip impregnation system rebuild enables a thorough impregnation of the chips with liquor before cooking, leading to more stable and increased pulp production.

The new wash filter hoods are made of strong and durable glass-fiber reinforced plastic FRB with low weight. They offer easy removal and re-installation, thus improving safety during inspection and maintenance. Installation of the new filter hoods will take place during 2024.

About the customer SCA

SCA offers packaging paper, pulp, wood products, renewable energy, services for forest owners and efficient transport solutions. In 2022, SCA had approximately 3,300 employees and sales amounted to approximately EUR 1.9 billion. SCA was founded in 1929 and has four pulp and paper mills in Sweden. In October 2022, SCA started up the world's largest paper machine for the production of kraftliner at its Obbola mill.

Valmet is a leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. With our automation systems and flow control solutions we serve an even wider base of process industries. Our 17,500 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers’ performance forward – every day.

The company has over 220 years of industrial history and a strong track record in continuous improvement and renewal. In 2022, a major milestone was achieved when the flow control company Neles was merged into Valmet. Valmet’s net sales in 2022 were approximately EUR 5.1 billion. 

Valmet’s shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki and the head office is in Espoo, Finland.     

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Toscotec has been certified to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 45001:2018 occupational health and safety management system. The certification was issued by Certiquality, an independent third-party assurance body validated by Italy’s national accrediting agency Accredia. 

Health and safety culture is considered of paramount importance at Toscotec. This new certification is part of a broader effort to prioritise safety through education, training, and awareness-raising activities at all its locations, and it confirms Toscotec’s strong focus on identifying, addressing, and reducing potential risks. The ISO 45001 certification complements the company’s long-standing ISO 14001:2015 and EMAS certifications.

Andrea Marzaro, Operations Director (COO) at Toscotec, says, “Achieving and maintaining ISO certifications is part of Toscotec’s corporate sustainability strategy. The ISO 45001 keeps us on the right track to monitor, manage, and deliver continuous improvement on our Occupational Health and Safety system. Along with our long-time environmental certifications, day by day we put in place a valuable, reliable, and effective HSE (Health, Safety, Environment) management system and team.”

About Toscotec
Founded in 1948, Toscotec specializes in the design and manufacture of turn-key projects, complete machines, rebuilds and stand-alone systems for the tissue and paper and board industries. Headquartered in Lucca, Italy, with subsidiaries and service centers in China and North America, Toscotec offers cutting-edge technology and customized solutions to paper producers around the world. Energy efficiency, energy saving, and quality are the basis for all its research and development, design, and manufacturing. From 30th April 2020, Toscotec is part of the Voith Group.

Contact
Andrea Marzaro
Operations Director (COO), Toscotec
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Valmet has been chosen as the second most attractive employer by engineering students in Finland. The ranking was published in Universum’s annual Talent Research, which is the biggest employer survey in Finland.

In recent years, Valmet has been actively developing its student and university collaboration in Finland and abroad. The focus has been on developing new trainee programs, establishing a global concept for university cooperation, starting to collaborate with schools to make engineering as a subject more attractive to middle schoolers and continuing to run an active summer trainee program in Finland and Sweden. For 2023, Valmet is set to have nearly 600 students working in Valmet locations around Finland.

“An important recognition like this means that our continued efforts and investments in different student opportunities, such as trainee programs and internships, have again proven valuable. It is our pleasure to offer a workplace for students where they can participate in real projects gaining valuable experience and grow their expertise. In return, the students bring energy and fresh ideas which generate valuable development opportunities to the whole organization. Thank you to the students who contributed to Universum’s research and to the Valmeteers around the world for making Valmet an attractive work community,” says Julia Macharey, Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Operational Development, Valmet.

Information about the Universum Talent Research

Every year, university students vote for their ideal employers in Finland's largest career-related study – the Universum Talent Research. This year, over 13,000 students from different areas of study in Finland provided insight on company characteristics they find most attractive in a potential employer as well as who they perceive to be their ideal employer. Valmet was included in the ranking in the fields of Engineering, Business, Natural Sciences and Information Technology.

Valmet is a leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. With our automation systems and flow control solutions we serve an even wider base of process industries. Our 17,500 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers’ performance forward – every day.

The company has over 220 years of industrial history and a strong track record in continuous improvement and renewal. In 2022, a major milestone was achieved when the flow control company Neles was merged into Valmet. Valmet’s net sales in 2022 were approximately EUR 5.1 billion.

Valmet’s shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki and the head office is in Espoo, Finland.    

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Valmet will deliver a new refiner with chip washer capacity of 28 ton/h to ARAUCO’s new MDF plant located in Zitácuaro, Mexico. The start-up of the system is planned for the last quarter of 2024.

The order was included in Valmet’s orders received of the first quarter 2023. The value of the order will not be disclosed.

“We are proud to have had the opportunity to supply Valmet’s spear head defibrator system technology to ARAUCO’s new mill site in Mexico. We are looking forward to further deepening the relationship and developing new projects and investments together in the future,” says Leif Sundberg, Sales Manager, Fiberline Sales, Pulp and Energy business line, Valmet.

“For us at ARAUCO, incorporating technology that guarantees both safety and quality is always the main priority. Our growth depends on a safe operation and technology such as Valmet’s, giving us a solid foundation to produce quality boards for the Mexican market,” says Jose Manuel Hernández, the CEO of ARAUCO México.

chip washing and defibrator system

Information about the delivery
Valmet’s delivery includes all main machinery of the second-generation EVO 64 Defibrator system and chip washing, related motors as well as process design and engineering. The delivery also includes commissioning, installation, and start-up advisory.

Valmet’s defibrators are equipped with a patented grinding house that is unique in the industry. This feature enables both energy and resin savings, providing low operating costs and resulting in an environmentally friendly defibrator system for the production of high-quality wood fibers to MDF.

Information about the customer ARAUCO
ARAUCO is a global leader in sustainable forestry, being the first forestry company in the world to achieve a Carbon Neutral certification. ARAUCO is the main board producer in North America, leading the trends in decors and melamine boards for architectural and interior design solutions. The company operates in the forestry, pulp, lumber, plywood, composite panels, millwork, and renewable energy businesses. The company has a revenue of about USD 7 billion. The company operates altogether 42 sawmills, panel mills and pulp mills in North America, South America, Europe and South Africa.

Valmet is a leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. With our automation systems and flow control solutions we serve an even wider base of process industries. Our 17,500 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers’ performance forward – every day.

The company has over 220 years of industrial history and a strong track record in continuous improvement and renewal. In 2022, a major milestone was achieved when the flow control company Neles was merged into Valmet. Valmet’s net sales in 2022 were approximately EUR 5.1 billion. 

Valmet’s shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki and the head office is in Espoo, Finland.     

Follow us on valmet.com

The 100% paper design of the charity's iconic poppy will be available from this year's Poppy Appeal onwards

James Cropper, specialist papermaker based in the English Lake District, has collaborated on the creation of the Royal British Legion’s new plastic-free poppy that’s now made entirely from paper.

Working with the Royal British Legion (RBL), and design consultancy Matter, James Cropper is proud to have co-created the poppy which will reduce carbon emissions by 40 per cent. It is free from single-use plastic and can be recycled in ordinary paper recycling collections.

The design is part of the charity’s commitment to reducing single-use plastic in all its activities in a drive to be economical, sustainable, and less impactful to the environment. The new poppy maintains the iconic poppy design and leaf shape and can be fastened with a pin, inserted into a buttonhole, or stick on versions are available.

Marking 45 years of partnership with the RBL, the paper provided for the new design is made from a blend of renewable fibres from responsible sources, 50 per cent of which has been recovered from paper coffee cup production via James Cropper’s CupCycling facility in Cumbria.

Steve Adams, Chief Executive Officer at James Cropper, said: “Every year since 1978, red and green papers made at our paper mill are transformed into millions of poppies for the annual Poppy Appeal that continues to provide vital support to the Armed Forces community.

“Although we are involved each year, we never take for granted what this symbol means to so many families and the country as a whole. Everyone at James Cropper is very proud of our long-standing involvement in the production of the paper poppy, worn the world over as a symbol of respect and remembrance.”

The original paper poppy design was first produced in the 1970s. A request went out to paper mills for assistance in finding a bleed-free paper, and the partnership between James Cropper and the RBL began. James Cropper now delivers over three miles (5km) of narrow red and green paper rolls, which are made into millions of poppies, to the RBL and Poppyscotland’s poppy factories every year.

The Royal British Legion’s Executive Director of Marketing, Fundraising and Remembrance, Gary Ryan said, “We're proud to have designed a plastic-free poppy that will enable people to show their support for our Armed Forces community in a more sustainable way. We are thankful to our long-standing supplier James Cropper who developed the innovative paper used in the new poppy. The company’s industry-leading technology which reuses waste from the manufacture of coffee cups has ensured the iconic poppy is now made entirely from responsibly sourced materials. The Royal British Legion provides a lifeline for serving personnel, veterans and their families facing hardship, injury and bereavement. We hope our new plastic-free poppy, which will be available alongside existing poppy stocks, will encourage people to support the Poppy Appeal this year and help us continue our vital work.”

John MacDonald, Design Director at Matter said: “We didn’t want to simply reduce single use plastic, but to eliminate it completely. Paper offered a single-material solution that could be easily recycled, as well as offering a bold, elegant approach for the next generation of poppies. When applied well, paper is such a beautiful material. The new poppy uses papers entirely bespoke to the RBL, with print finish details that lift 3D form and deliver a quality that the remembrance occasion deserves.”

With sustainable solutions at the heart of the James Cropper mission, the new poppy contributes to its vision to drive growth of upcycled fibre within the company’s paper products to 50 per cent by 2025: pioneering materials to safeguard our future.

James Cropper’s FibreBlend Upcycled Technology model organises the plethora of fibre blend options available to customers into a clear offer, demonstrating the limitless expertise available to them. From the world’s first technology to upcycle used coffee cups to the industry leading incorporation of used jeans into fully recyclable paper for packaging - transforming waste into beautiful paper and packaging is at the core of the FibreBlend Upcycled Technology mission.

The plastic-free poppy will be available for the 2023 Poppy Appeal alongside remaining stocks of the current poppy, which can be returned to Sainsbury’s stores for recycling.

James Cropper   

James Cropper is a prestige paper innovator based in the English Lake District, supplying distinct, custom-made paper products to many of the world’s leading luxury brands, art galleries and designers.   

Throughout 176 years of high-quality paper production, the business has been carefully stewarded and nurtured by six generations of the Cropper family and is renowned globally for individual expertise in colour and fibre innovation.  

The Royal British Legion 

The Royal British Legion (RBL) is the UKs largest charity dedicated to supporting the needs of the Armed Forces community, past and present and their families. The RBL is the champion of Remembrance and safeguards the Armed Forces Covenant. It is well known for the annual Poppy Appeal and its emblem the red poppy. For further information, visit rbl.org.uk. 

Matter

We are a team of designers, committed to making a difference. A creative studio of thinkers and makers, inspired by what we can achieve for a positive future. For the people who experience our products, for the organisations we transform and for the world we live in.

User-experience and responsible design are at the centre of everything we do. Our services include product and packaging design, brand strategy, sustainable futures, concept visions and prototyping.

We are Matter. Difference, made.

Valmet will deliver key technologies and automation systems for Henan Longyuan Paper’s new PM7 testliner line at their mill in Henan province in China. The order also includes a quality control system for the rebuild of their PM3 machine.

The order is included in Valmet’s orders received of the first quarter 2023. The value of the order will not be disclosed.

“The good cooperation with Valmet started with the headbox installation project for PM6. Due to Valmet’s many references from center press and automation controls in high-speed paper machines, we decided to go with Valmet again for the further expansion of production capacity.  Valmet’s intelligent technology operating with low carbon emissions fits perfectly together with Henan Longyan Paper’s efficient and environmentally friendly concept, contributing to the local economy. We are looking forward to collaborating with Valmet again,” says Yuzhou Wang, Vice General Manager, Henan Longyuan Paper.

“We are happy about Henan Longyan Paper’s trust in Valmet’s testliner concept and project execution plan, and we are convinced that it will contribute to improving machine’s performance. We are looking forward to working together with Henan Longyan Paper to make it a successful project,” says Fond Zhu, Sales Manager, China, Valmet.

Technical information about the delivery

Valmet’s delivery includes a bottom dilution headbox and a Tri-nip press section and an automation package, including Valmet DNA machine controls (MCS), IQ Quality control system (QCS), dilution profiler for headbox, steam profiler, as well as Valmet services.

After the installation, PM7 will produce testliner products with a basis weight between 90-140 g/m² at a design speed of 1,100 m/min.

About the customer Henan Longyuan Paper

Henan Longyuan Paper Co. Ltd. is a private joint-stock enterprise mainly producing containerboard and high-strength corrugated base paper, with an annual production capacity of 800,000 tons and multiple production lines. It is the largest production and output base of packaging paper in Henan Province.

For further information, please contact:
Fond Zhu, Sales Manager, Paper business line, China, Valmet, tel. +86 139 6262 4146    

Valmet is a leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. With our automation systems and flow control solutions we serve an even wider base of process industries. Our 17,500 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers’ performance forward – every day.

The company has over 220 years of industrial history and a strong track record in continuous improvement and renewal. In 2022, a major milestone was achieved when the flow control company Neles was merged into Valmet. Valmet’s net sales in 2022 were approximately EUR 5.1 billion.

Valmet’s shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki and the head office is in Espoo, Finland.    

Follow us on valmet.com

Saudi Paper Group (SPG) has started up a Toscotec-supplied AHEAD 2.2 tissue machine and OPTIMA slitter rewinder at its Dammam mill in Saudi Arabia. The new machine (PM2) is already producing high quality tissue.

The AHEAD 2.2 line has a sheet trim width of 2,850 mm, a maximum operating speed of 2,100 m/min, and an annual production capacity of over 30,000 tons. Equipped with Toscotec’s upgraded shoe press design TT NextPress, a third-generation TT SYD Steel Yankee Dryer with patented deckle head insulation, and high efficiency TT Hood, the tissue machine ensures optimal energy efficiency. Toscotec also supplied the stock preparation system and its patented Short Approach Flow with double dilution, which guarantees a further reduction of electrical consumption.  

In 2022, SPG placed a new order with Toscotec for the full-on turnkey supply of a new tissue line, including an AHEAD 2.2L machine (PM5) and two OPTIMA 2600L slitter rewinders. The project is slated to add 65,000 tons to the group’s annual capacity in 2024. 

Mohamed Abdelghaffar, SPG Group Operations Director, says, “We are very pleased with this successful start-up, and with Toscotec’s ability to manage the entire project with flexibility and competence. We expect to quickly achieve excellent performances on PM2 both for tissue quality and production efficiency. SPG’s project team is already working with Toscotec on the engineering phase of PM5, our new, double-width AHEAD tissue line. We are happy to continue this partnership, taking together another important step in our growth strategy.”

Andrea Paganucci, Toscotec Project Manager, says, “The good cooperation between SPG and Toscotec throughout the entire project could only result in a successful outcome. Considering that Toscotec’s new line replaced an older machine in an existing building, we’ve faced a few challenges linked to space restraints of the plant layout. This is when Toscotec’s well-known flexibility can really shine bright: the customized design we delivered has effectively resolved all these issues. We look forward to continuing this close partnership on SPG’s second Toscotec machine.”

About Saudi Paper Group 
Headquartered in Dammam (Saudi Arabia), Saudi Paper Group is the leading tissue paper manufacturing company in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and MENA (Middle East and North Africa) regions. Established in 1989, SPG has been listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) since 2006. Saudi Paper Group combines the efficiency of a large organization as it has earned the expertise of orchestrating a phenomenal paper empire. The group integrates 3 lines of business: Paper Recycling (SRC), Tissue Jumbo Rolls manufacturing (SPM) and Tissue Converting (SPC) businesses. With expanded operations both domestically and internationally (Kuwait, UAE, Turkey, Algeria, and Morocco), it specializes in the manufacturing of high quality, hygienic and environmentally friendly tissue products in compliance with local and international requirements.

Contact
Fabio Bargiacchi 
Sales Manager, Tissue division Toscotec
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Valmet has decided to further strengthen its press felt production capabilities in Tampere, Finland, by investing in a new weaving machine and a new heat-setting machine in addition to the ongoing press felt investment announced in August 2022. The value of the new investment will not be disclosed. 

“The investments will safeguard our press felt production capacity for years to come and strengthen our position as one of the leading press felt suppliers globally. Our customers in the board, paper, tissue, and pulp industries will also in the future benefit from press felts that respond to the highest quality and performance demands, and which are produced in the most modern, efficient, and sustainable press felt facility within the industry,” says Tero Kokko, Vice President, Fabrics Business Unit, Services at Valmet.

“As the sustainability of the production is very important for us, we continue to emphasize the recycling of our production side streams. We are also constantly investigating and testing in our laboratories new, more sustainable yarns and other raw materials. These actions apply to the production of all our fabrics and technical textiles: forming and dryer fabrics, press felts, shoe press belts as well as filter fabrics and laundry felts,” continues Kokko.

Valmet’s production unit for fabrics in Tampere.

Valmet has been producing press felts in Tampere, Finland, since 1882.

For further information, please contact: 
Tero Kokko, Vice President, Fabrics Business Unit, Services, Valmet, tel. +358 40 542 7427 

Valmet is a leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. With our automation systems and flow control solutions we serve an even wider base of process industries. Our 17,500 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers’ performance forward – every day.

The company has over 220 years of industrial history and a strong track record in continuous improvement and renewal. In 2022, a major milestone was achieved when the flow control company Neles was merged into Valmet. Valmet’s net sales in 2022 were approximately EUR 5.1 billion.

Valmet’s shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki and the head office is in Espoo, Finland.   

Follow us on valmet.com

Norwegian manufacturer Ranheim Paper & Board selected Toscotec for the dryer section rebuild of PM5 at its paper mill in Ranheim, near Trondheim. Scheduled for the third quarter of 2023, the project will increase the paper machine’s production capacity and efficiency. PM5 produces cardboard and solid board in the basis weight range from 220 to 540 gsm. 

The rebuild of PM5’s entire dryer section will consist of different phases. The first phase will see Toscotec supply new felt runs including stretcher and guide systems suitable for higher felt tensions, as well as some internal felt loops to deliver improved cleanliness. The target of this phase is to enhance the overall dryer section production efficiency by increasing felt tensions. The associated services include complete erection with supervision, commissioning, and start-up assistance. 

Øistein Vedahl, Managing Director at Ranheim Paper & Board, says, “This rebuild represents a strategic investment aimed to increase the production and efficiency of PM5. We selected Toscotec because we knew their ability to successfully manage rebuild projects, and we were impressed with their technical solution during the discussion of the project.”

Norwegian manufacturer Ranheim Paper & Board

Giancarlo Gianlorenzi, Sales Manager at Toscotec, says, “With this rebuilding project, Toscotec sets foot in a highly technological market. We are pleased to begin a cooperation with Ranheim Paper & Board in Northern Europe. Toscotec’s ability to provide dryer section rebuilds that include customized engineering, project management, erection, and start-up all in one package has an interesting potential in this market area.”

About Ranheim Paper & Board
Founded in 1884, Ranheim Paper & Board has a long history as an innovative papermill and one of the world’s most northerly papermills. Following the restructuring of Peterson Packaging group in 2016, the company was named Ranheim Paper & Board, which is owned today by Fundermax. It currently has 215 employees and a production capacity of approximately 120,000 tpy of paper and 50 million m2 of solid board. 

Contact
Giancarlo Gianlorenzi
Sales Manager, Paper & Board division Toscotec
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